Alt Bike Culture - Three Words...

Where. To. Buy?

http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/Z50R/seniordesignI.jpg

http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/Z50R/seniordesignII.jpg

http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/Z50R/DSCN0165.jpg

Do. It. Yourself.
It doesn't look impossible. Check out the links to three antique versions of that bike:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20832301@N03/2047953059/in/set-72157603527352796/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20832301@N03/2035856587/in/set-72157603527352796/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20832301@N03/2131115205/in/set-72157603527352796/

Good luck, and please show us what you come up with, even just ideas and sketches.

I am talking with the person who made that beast. He said that he did it for a college project, and that it cost him under $1,000. I'll let you guys know what I find out.

This project is actually gaining momentum. Anybody know how to tig weld?

This project is actually gaining momentum. Anybody know how to tig weld?

Whit is a grade-A frame builder, check him out.

http://www.whitworthcycles.com/

Thanks for that! We are now in contact!

Just a few observations, not to dissuade you from your dream but as considerations in over all design. I would suspect that you would be pressed to ride that very far or for very long effectively. The pressure on your ribcage would decrease your breathing efficiency. And there doesn't seem to be much support for your hips and thighs. Overall I think it would be awkward and limiting at best. But Maybe I am being to skeptical.

Just a few observations, not to dissuade you from your dream but as considerations in over all design. I would suspect that you would be pressed to ride that very far or for very long effectively. The pressure on your ribcage would decrease your breathing efficiency. And there doesn't seem to be much support for your hips and thighs. Overall I think it would be awkward and limiting at best. But Maybe I am being to skeptical.

I have observed this as well. I am changing the design of this bike a lot overall.

The welding alone is going to cost me $2,000. :twitchy:

If it was for me, I'd design some kind of slighly-pivoting hip and shoulder support.
Also, I'm a skilled TIG welder, but you'd have to come to the
Chicago area:)

I just realized you could puke while riding this bike and not have to stop.

If it was for me, I'd design some kind of slighly-pivoting hip and shoulder support.
Also, I'm a skilled TIG welder, but you'd have to come to the
Chicago area:)

I just realized you could puke while riding this bike and not have to stop.

The pivots seem like a good idea. Maybe old spindles with stops welded on?

Also, are you telling me that you would weld my frame for less than what I was quoted? Because that would be cool.

I'm not a welding expert, but I think the actual welding would be quicker and cheaper. Coping all that tubing just so-so and getting everything jigged into place so it's all plumb and square when you're done is where the problem comes in.

For me, I think that position would be very uncomfortable very quickly. I suspect that the lighter you were, and the better the tone of your abdominal muscles, the better it would work. Also, it seems some of the tubing could be eliminated or moved back into a single plane. The potential advantage of the bike is an aerodynamic position, but the extra tubing interferes with that. It looks like holding your head up like that would get old, but maybe it's not that different from a normal bicycle.

Cosmetically, it requires a time-trial helmet.

One of the disadvantages I read of recumbents is the inability to lighten the wheels going over bumps, and I can see that being an issue here. I'd hate to hit a pothole on that thing.

If a blueprint and a box of parts were to be set down in front of me I could do the job for
less than two grand. Engineering and fabricating all the parts from scratch would definitely put it up
at your original estimate (a lot of folks have no idea how long that can take.)

Heck, why not go whole hog and put a full fairing on it also. The whole point of that position is to decrease frontal area, what not fair it and get a much lower CD also? You could probably adapt a plexiglas motorcycle windscreen-Givi maybe- for the cockpit windshield and use some flexible thin plastic-or even fabric for the rest of the fairing.
Might be a bit tricky in cross winds. Motorcycles with bathtub fairings were said to be tricky in cross winds, and they were just 1/2 enclosed.
Luck,
Charlie

That looks... One word to describe it- Funcomfortable.

I'm not a welding expert, but I think the actual welding would be quicker and cheaper. Coping all that tubing just so-so and getting everything jigged into place so it's all plumb and square when you're done is where the problem comes in.

For me, I think that position would be very uncomfortable very quickly. I suspect that the lighter you were, and the better the tone of your abdominal muscles, the better it would work. Also, it seems some of the tubing could be eliminated or moved back into a single plane. The potential advantage of the bike is an aerodynamic position, but the extra tubing interferes with that. It looks like holding your head up like that would get old, but maybe it's not that different from a normal bicycle.

Cosmetically, it requires a time-trial helmet.

One of the disadvantages I read of recumbents is the inability to lighten the wheels going over bumps, and I can see that being an issue here. I'd hate to hit a pothole on that thing.

I see what you're saying about the physical aspect of building a frame, which is why I need someone else to do it. Unless I can get some hook-ups from Kent Eriksen (my uncle worked for him at the original MOOTS) -- which I doubt -- then I'll look locally and see where that leads me.


If a blueprint and a box of parts were to be set down in front of me I could do the job for
less than two grand. Engineering and fabricating all the parts from scratch would definitely put it up
at your original estimate (a lot of folks have no idea how long that can take.)

I shall remember you, Mike. :D


Heck, why not go whole hog and put a full fairing on it also. The whole point of that position is to decrease frontal area, what not fair it and get a much lower CD also? You could probably adapt a plexiglas motorcycle windscreen-Givi maybe- for the cockpit windshield and use some flexible thin plastic-or even fabric for the rest of the fairing.
Might be a bit tricky in cross winds. Motorcycles with bathtub fairings were said to be tricky in cross winds, and they were just 1/2 enclosed.
Luck,
Charlie

That was an idea that did in fact cross my mind.


That looks... One word to describe it- Funcomfortable.

:lol:

that looks like a lot of fun to ride. i'd want a safety flag being so low to the ground though

I'll bet Mr. Garrison had something similar in mind.

face plant!

I couldn't ride that, or a recumbent, in my area because dogs often run free, chase and bite here. Judging by the photo with rider, my whole anatomy, from hock to brisket to tenderloin to shoulder would be spread out like a buffet table.

I couldn't ride that, or a recumbent, in my area because dogs often run free, chase and bite here. Judging by the photo with rider, my whole anatomy, from hock to brisket to tenderloin to shoulder would be spread out like a buffet table.

i'm hungry...

i'm hungry...

Care for a good Chianti?

Seems like you are supporting most of your weight with the exact parts needed for breathing. :crash:

With a "normal" diamond framed bicycle you can stand on the pedals using body weight to create heavier pedaling forces, on most recumbents you can push against the seat back, with this design you can do neither, only spin the pedals lightly.
Or am I missing something?

With a "normal" diamond framed bicycle you can stand on the pedals using body weight to create heavier pedaling forces, on most recumbents you can push against the seat back, with this design you can do neither, only spin the pedals lightly.
Or am I missing something?

You'd have to build in stops to brace your shoulders against so you wouldn't push
yourself onto the handlebars if you decided to mash the pedals.

The history of home-built prone recumbents records that while they seem like a great idea, they are very uncomfortable to ride for anything more than a short amount of time.

I don't recall any examples that were made and sold commercially, at least in the last 20-odd years. Certainly none in the USA, and none I know of in Europe either.

There have been a few record/racing ones, used at things like Battle Mountain (http://www.google.com/#hl=en&safe=off&q=whpsc+battle+mountain&aq=f&aqi=&oq=&fp=94f5bc3d92523f1a) and such.
~

I don't know of anything that a prone bike can do better than a feet-first recumbent.

I'd rather urinate while riding a prone recumbent than feet-first.

So, essentially, due to my lack of welding skills and a lucrative employer, this project has officially stagnated.

I don't know of anything that a prone bike can do better than a feet-first recumbent.

it can thrill more completely.

seriously, i dunno why everyone is so down on this design for practical reasons... I mean this is the alt-bike forum. If we don't emphasize pure fun over any modicum of practicality, i dunno who would.

I've seen a few sellers of prone bikes and they had an article about them in popular mechanics sometime in the 70's.

You could just booger weld one up, ride it around the block a couple times and then toss it out for the scrappers ;)